Their Heart
by Goldenstripe2510
Summary: Nobody noticed but Zatanna changed alot. She's got to learn to adjust to a whole basically new life. Being given a new family, new school, new town. It's only natural that she would change too. Although this change also effects the one part of her life she wants to keep the same.
1. Training

**Happy really, really, really, really late Valentine's Day! Hope you all had a great day. Soo this is my second fanfic and it is a story, not one-shots. :)**

**EDIT: For anyone who's already read this chapter, the ending of it has changed. For new readers, welcome and enjoy the story. :]**

**Disclaimer: Do I have to explain? I do not own Young Justice.**

Zatanna walked into the training room. Superboy and Robin were both sparring together in the centre of the room. Kaldur and Wally were cheering them on, while M'gann and Artemis sat on the bleaches watching the fight. "Hey, sorry I'm late." She called. Robin rolled past saluting and smirking then jumping out of the way of Superboy. The other two boys waved too. She walked over and sat down just above her friends. Zatanna unzipped the bag and took out her water then quickly gulped some down. She looked at her friends in annoyance. _"Are you two having a mental conversation without me again?!"_

Artemis's girly voice spoke in her head. _"Oh...Hey Zan! When did you get here?"_

"_augh!"_ The girl face-palmed. _"I got here 5 mins-... you know nevermind."_ She sighed putting her hands behind her head and leaning back lazily.

"_Kk."_ M'gann sighed. It was then that Zatanna noticed the far away tone of voice they were using. It was soft and suggested they weren't really interested in talking to her; A typical day-dreamers voice.

'_Wait! Why am I analysing...Damn, I've gotta stop hanging out with Rob!'_ Zatanna thought.

'_Huh? Did you say something Zan?"_ Arty asked half heartedly.

"No, not at all!" she muttered to herself. "_So what are we talking about?"_

The older two girls sighed. _"We're talking about how cute he is." _Meg said putting her hands under her chin.

"_And Strong."_ Added the blonde archer.

The Raven haired girl noticed they were staring at Rob and Conner, who were still battling in the rooms centre.

"_He's clever too!"_

"_Yeah"_

Zatanna smiled cheekily. _"You know Robs mine, right?"_

For the first time today she had both girls full attention... In fact, she had everyone's attention. "Figures, the boys were listening in!" she muttered to herself. Looking up at everyone's faces she saw their expressions. Artemis was shocked but also smirking, M'gann was just plain shocked, Kulder grinned, Wally snickered, Conner was smiling, and Robin was as red as herself.

"You know we were talking about Conner, right?" Artemis mocked. Suddenly everyone's eyes turned toward the older two girls and it was their turn to blush. Wally broke down in laughter rolling all over the floor.

A voice came into their heads. _'Awkward! 3...2...1...RUN!' _

Everyone immediately scrambled to run in their own direction. At first there was a little mix-up (more Artemis and Robin tripping over each other) but eventually everyone made it in different ways, except Wally. Once Zatanna passed the door she laughed a bit. _'Why did we just do that?_' she thought. Creaking the door open and glancing back, she saw Wally was sitting on the floor, dumbfounded. She closed the door again and slid down it, relieved.

"So is it true?" Zatanna jumped. Robin walked out of the shadows, grinning widely.

"You've really gotta stop doing that!" She exclaimed, calming herself down although not stopping her racing heartbeat. Her tummy started to feel sick, she became shy and really felt dizzy.

"Umm, well?" He tapped his foot impatiently all the while still grinning.

"Oh..." She giggled and looked at him mischievously. "Maybe." The girl stood up, kissed him on the cheek and disappeared into the shadow Robin came from.

Rob stood there shocked. Finally he snapped out of it smirking. "Damn! I've gotta stop teaching her that!"

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

Zatanna woke with start. The girl sat upright and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. She pushed a strand of her black hair out of her face. Slowly her heart rate lowered to its normal pace, realisation sinking in that she had been only dreaming and that she was in her PJ's, in her own bed, in her own room and her own house. _'Why am I dreaming about Robin… and the team?!' _She let out a long sigh. _'Geezz you're crazy. You've only met them once, in which time they kidnapped you, and you're already dreaming about hanging with Rob-, the team!' _She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock on her table. _'8:00. Time to get up and moving.'_

**Nawwww! Thanks for reading. Please review if you thought this was any good :) or review if you love Robtanna!**


	2. Comfort

**Oh yeah, chapter two! Of this new continued story (which will be continued)! **

**I was totally overwhelmed by the reviews. Thanks to Sirens in the water, Obiwan1022, Jenniferhudsonfan33, emmily lee, RedxxxRobin, InvisibleNinja1234, postsoonplease, 3v3ery1luvsm3, Myths101 and FallenBlackAngel15 for the awesome 10 reviews (insert tears). You guys rock! I hope you all like this one!**

**(P.s. it's set around Misplaced, because I'm a slow writer and refuses to write any season two stuff until I've fully made my mind up about it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

'_Recognised: Robin B02'_

"Where is she?" Robin demanded the moment he was through the zeta. A worried looking M'gann hovered just above the floor. Conner and wolf stood not far behind her. The martian girl sighed and pointed towards the hallways, about to say something but the Boy Wonder had already disappeared. Very quickly he sprinted as fast as humanly possible through the maze like place, left here, and a right there. He stopped outside of the 3rd door of the passage way he had just turned down. Tiny faint sobs could be heard coming from behind the door. Deep down in the back of Robin's subconscious he knew he had heard those sobs before, leaving him with a major feeling of Déjà Vu as he knocked on the door. "Zatanna, can I come in?"

Her reply was muffled and barely audible, but Robin heard it. "No, go away!" Not wanting to accept that answer Robin pulled the cords from his gloves and hooked them up to the doors electric system. Zatanna must have guessed what he was up to because she mumbled a few words and an electric shock coursed through the door, wires and Robin leaving the kid on the floor. Shaking off the volts that just went through his small body, he went to assess the situation. The door panel was fried so he tried to pry open the door. After a lot of effort he managed to make the gap just big enough to squeeze through.

When he entered the dark, gloomy room he swept over to sit next to the grieving girl. She wrapped her arms securely around his waist and he cradled her then she settled herself resting her head on his lap. Robin had taken his gloves off and was stroking her beautiful raven hair. It was so thin but there was so much of it and it shone even in the dark, so silky and soft. Her breathing was broken and even this brave girl couldn't hold back the tears. They flooded her eyes and spilled over like waterfalls. He continued stroking and whispered soothing words to her. "I'm s-sorry Rob-bin." She finally choked out.

Rob smiled down at her. Unknown to her, tears welled up in his eyes behind the domino mask for he had just realised why he felt this had happened before. "It's ok, I know how this feels. I don't have any parents."

She sat upright and looked at him quizzically. "But Batman..."

"Nope." He cut her off. "Batman's not my dad. My parents, along with the rest of my family, were murdered and I watched them die."

Zatanna looked at him in horror. "Rob, I'm so sorry." They both sat in silence together for a while cuddling for comfort. It was strangely peacefull and relaxing. Both enjoyed the warmth of each other beside them. Zatanna rested her head on Robin's shoulder and he rested his head aganist hers, still stroking her hair with the arm she was leaning against.

Zatanna whipped her eyes dry. She looked right into Robin's face. "I need your advice." She said. Robin waved his hand for her to continue. Exhaling she started talking again. "Since my dad's officially gone _'missing'_ now and I'm staying at _'Megan's house'_, I've been offered a home with one of my dad's friends. He's willing to take me in as his ward. He lives in Gotham and I'd start attending Gotham Academy."

"That's great! Who is this 'friend'?" Rob asked raising an eyebrow.

"Bruce Wayne, billionaire, White knight of Gotham. And his other ward, Dick Grayson."

"That's quite the opportunity, and that Dick's a bit of a character, I've met him a few times." He smirked but changed back to a serious smile. "You should do whatever your heart tells you."

She smiled back at him. "Thanks. I think I'll give it a chance. Who knows, I might even see you around, Mr Mysterious." She teased punching his arm lightly. Her tummy rumbled and a sheepish grin spread across her face. "I guess I'm pretty hungry. Do want some food too?" She started to walk towards to door.

Robin stood to follow her but stopped to debate with himself. _'Take off the mask and tell her your secret' _"Zatanna." His hand slid towards his mask. _'Don't destroy it, let her find out.' _He felt torn with what he wanted to do.

Zatanna pivoted around to face him. A smile now lit up her face. "Yeah?"

The Boy Wonder moved his hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Y-you're so brave." He smiled and took her left hand with his right then looked deep into her blue eyes. "Always remember that."

"Thanks" She blinked flattered, then slipped through the doors gap.

Robin looked down in shame at his feet._ 'I hope I've done the right thing.'_

**Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you think by reviewing. **

**Ok' I better get back to my boring assignment before Mum bust me. :P 'Come at me bro!'**


	3. The Move

**This time when I got 10 reviews and I was screaming and worrying my family (they thought I was crazy), then I got one more and was beyond overwhelmed! Thank you Takua Nui, greefreak101, theotakuprincessofgotham, TrollingAround, ImaniSechelles, random obsession, j9162, poseidon'sdaughter3, mistress of magic, Deathfairy78 and ieatcookies for your reviews. Thank you guys sooooo much!**

**P.S. I changed my mind about the setting. It's just after cold hearted. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

"Zatanna, get down here, hurry up!"

"Coming!" Zatanna yelled back. Sighing she glanced around the room one more time, making sure she had anything important to her. After she was sure she had everything, she pulled the handle up on her new black suitcase which was ridiculously big. M'gann wanted to get her a leaving present, so even though the young girl protested that she liked her old one, M'gann insisted on buying her a large suitcase. The peppy girl tried to suggest getting one in the colour of that one syllable, four lettered word starting with P, but Zatanna wouldn't have that so she reluctantly accepted the colour black. Again she sighed then tugged on the handle of her suitcase, wheeling it down through the maze of halls.

M'gann floated up to her when she entered the mountain's zeta tube entrance. She squeezed the poor younger girl who yelped with surprise. Zatanna gave Superboy a look of desperation over M'gann's shoulder. Superboy just shrugged nonchalantly. When M'gann finally let go of her, Zatanna noticed a fluffy stuffed animal in her hands. "Zatanna, this is for you." She gave it to her. Looking at it, it was a Rottweiler puppy which had little insignia's sown over it. An 'S' shield was on its right ear and a red 'X' on the left. The forward right leg had a green arrow, the forward left leg had a lightning bolt, the right hind leg had a gold upside-down 'V' and the left hind had Robin's 'R'. She smiled at the last one.

"Thanks M'gann, but you shouldn't have! You already brought me this suitcase." She motioned towards the black suitcase then looked at her friend.

The martian girl shrugged grinning. "It was Superboy's idea." Zatanna smiled and gave Supes a big hug. At first he was startled by this but then he relaxed and even hugged her back. M'gann beamed at this. When they broke apart Meg continued speaking. "Uh... we figured that you might need us at some time so under our insignia's is our numbers. Conner and I can be called anytime, same as Artemis, and Wally when he isn't grounded. For Kaldur it depends on whether he's on land or not and Robin is for an absolute emergency. He told me that he doesn't want to put you off but it has to be a life or death emergency." She smiled at the girl. "We'll miss you little sister."

Zatanna smiled. "Thanks Meg, Conner." She nodded at each of them.

Meg smiled back. When she saw the clock she nudged the girl towards the zeta tube. "You've gotta go home now or you'll be late! Good luck with your new home!"

Zatanna looked at the clock and her eyes widened. "Oh, right. Bye guys, I'll miss you. See ya at training." She rushed through the zeta tube.

"Bye" M'gann whispered leaning into her boyfriend.

%~ Later ~%

The black limo rolled up to a large rusted silver gate. They creaked open and the car continued up the driveway. Zatanna dared to peek out the window at her new home. The brooding dark Wayne Mansion loomed down over her. She gaped at it. Artemis had told her how big it was but it was so much bigger than she had imagined. Never in her wildest dreams did she think something like this would happen. 'Megan's house' would have been good enough. The limo pulled to a stop in front of the mansion and the kindly old driver opened his door and got out. After a minute, Zatanna got over her shock. She reached for the car's door handle only to have it opened for her. Without delay she and her suitcase slid out. She looked at the man. "Oh sorry, uh, thank you..." She paused trying to remember his name.

"Alfred." he supplied in heavy British accent.

"Alfred, that's right! Thanks...Alfred."

The old butler smile then ushered her forward. "Come Miss Zatanna, follow me." She moved swiftly up the stairs after him, well, as swift as it gets lugging a big black suitcase up too. Alfred gripped the two big silver handles. "Are you ready Miss Zatanna?" She nodded and he pulled the doors open. "Welcome to Wayne Manor."

Her jaw dropped when she walked into the grand entrance. Stopping to catch her breath, she looked slowly around. It was old yet elegant with wooden floors and two sets of stairs, one on either side. Red rugs and mats were positioned neatly around the place. A gorgeous silver crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Zatanna couldn't wait to see it on at night. Alfred closed the doors behind them and came to stand beside the young Miss. A sudden clash was heard followed by a loud thud. Zatanna's wandering attention turned to the top of the left stair case where a raven haired boy was grinning eerily. He started dashing half way down the stairs with a tall handsome looking raven haired man catching up. The boy looked up at the man, smiled cheekily back down and winked at Zatanna, then he climbed on top of the railing. From there he smoothly flipped down landing on his feet perfectly. The raven haired man continued going down the stairs.

"Erhem." Alfred made their presence known. Both straightened up and looked at Alfred. The butler stood sternly with his arms crossed over his chest and his foot tapping. He raised an eybrow at the two. The younger one stared at him with big blue puppy-dog eyes. They were the most amazing blue ever; looking at them sucked you deep into a whirlpool of blueness. These blue eyes seemed to have no effect on the butler though. "Master Dick, if I've told you once then I've told you a thousand times, no keeping-offs in the mansion.

"Yes sir." Dick mumbled.

Alfred looked back at the man. "Bruce, I think we need to have a word again." His eyes narrowed into a glare.

Bruce simply turn toward Dick to start what appeared as a mental conversation. _'They look like they're having a bat conversation'_ Zatanna thought. _'Ugghh. Mental note: I NEED to stop hanging out with Robin.'_ A half disgusted half confused look crossed her face.

Alfred noticed this and patted her shoulder. "You'll get used to them."He smiled_. _

She smiled and nodded. _'That's what Rob said about Wally's eating.' _She thought.

"Master Dick, could you please show Miss Zatanna to her room."

Dick grinned widely, it was kinda scary. "Follow me." He said. Zatanna looked at Alfred, motioned a 'thank you' then followed an enthusiastic Dick up the stairs while dragging her suitcase behind.

Zatanna followed Dick through the halls. She made a note of the turns on her hand with a pen. Dick spoke non-stop about something but Zatanna wasn't listening. She felt bad about it but she had to memorise the halls so that she wouldn't get lost later. "And Wall... you're not listening, are you?" He turned and grinned at her.

The girl looked up startled. "Uh... sorry, I was trying to memorise the way." She placed her hand on the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly.

"It's all good, tough trying to learn a whole new world under these circumstances, isn't it?" He took a map from his pocket and handed it to her. It was a map of the mansion and rooms. She stashed it in the pocket of her jeans. "This is your room." He said pointing to the door next to them.

Zatanna looked at it. "Oh, thanks." She went to grab the handle.

"No probs." He shrugged. "I'll give you some time to unpack, lunch is at 12:30." A big smirk spread across his face. "By the way, if you get lost, I suggest you sing or hum and call for someone every now and then." He winked and walked away. _'Weird guy.'_ Zatanna thought. She wheeled the suitcase into the room.

Again she was shocked at what this place had in store for her. The room she was in was _huge_. A double bed with red sheets was on the side wall, a study desk and laptop were on the opposite side of the room. A miniature chandelier hung from her ceiling. A big dark wood closet and a smaller, but still large, set of draws leaned against the same wall as the study desk, only at the opposite end. The theme of the room was red white and black. She laughed at the irony because those were her favourite colours. Sighing she flopped down on the bed. It was soft and comfortable. _'I'll get through this.'_ She thought. _'As Robin said, I'm brave.' _

**Well...How was it? Please review. And Thanks for reading!**

**P.S.S. Sorry if I take a while to update. Mid-year exams are on and I'm hoping to score higher than 85% on all subjects. High expectations :D**


	4. Thoughts

**Hi, I'm back, for now. Sorry to anyone waiting on stories but it's come to my attention that I need to start exercising. I can't believe that it's already half way through the school holidays. Time flys.**

**On with the story, sorry if you guys don't like songs in stories, but this was completely necessary. This song is meant to reflect how she feels and matches what's going on in her life. Sorry again guys, please don't kill me for it. :D**

**Thank you to 3v3ry1luvsm3, Irenerb, j9162, PremonitionKing, Fanficreader00001 and Guest (Obrigado coment****ários!). I'm really happy to hear that you all liked it and are interested. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own young Justice. The song is 'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson.**

'_Why am I actually going to listen to Dick?'_ Zatanna thought to herself as she was contemplating the idea of listening to her crazy half brother. Her bare feet soundlessly crept across the velvety carpet. Despite her cautiousness to tread lightly, each silent footstep she took seemed to echo heavily. She was surprised by what she was about to do. Sighing she took a deep breath in. What came out surprised her even more.

"You know the bed feels warmer,  
>sleeping here alone.<br>You know I dream in colour,  
>and do the things I want."<p>

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she paused to think. _'What if someone hears me?' _The girl groaned, remembering that the point of her singing was so that someone _would_ hear her. Who would have thought a shower would cause this much trouble? Not even the mountain was _this_ confusing.

She continued brushing her wet black hair while wandering down the empty random hall, not really caring where it ended up. Each hallway looked the same; walls dotted with picture frames, a piece of antique furniture here and there, the grand red rug that ran along the floor, all of it was the same to her. It didn't matter though; she was already lost beyond all belief.

A sudden and slightly crazy thought struck Zatanna. _'Dick just wants me to sing! I've been here 5 days and he's already pranking me! He's probably hiding somewhere around here laughing at me!' _She was going to stop singing but a big grin spread across her face and her eyes twinkled with mischief. '_If Dick wants singing, that's what he'll get!' _She smiled and raised her voice to loud and clear.

"You think you got the best of me,  
>think you've had the last laugh.<br>Bet you think that everything good is gone.  
>Think you left me broken down,<br>think that I'd come running back.  
>Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong"<p>

Without realizing it, she stopped thinking and just sung, thoroughly enjoying herself. She swung in time with her singing, but even that grew into something more. The brush she was holding came up to her mouth and she started singing into it. Thoughts of a scheming little brother were completely forgotten.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
>Stand a little taller<br>Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
>What doesn't kill you makes a fighter<br>Footsteps even lighter  
>Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone<p>

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
>Just me, myself and I<br>What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
>Stand a little taller<br>Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

You heard that I was starting over with someone new  
>They told you I was moving on, over you<p>

You didn't think that I'd come back  
>I'd come back swinging<br>You try to break me, but you see

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger-"

She bumped into someone with an 'oof'. Standing behind her was the old English butler. All of a sudden her ears and face heated up. A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her. "You're a wonderful singer, Miss Zatanna." Alfred complemented as he put the china vase he had finished dusting back on its wooden stand. "Were you lost?" he asked. Zatanna nodded shyly and Alfred just smiled, remembering all the times he had found a very lost Master Richard or even Master Bruce. "Go forward, take your first left, second right, then go down the stairs and you'll be in the grand foyer. Your map should provide you with the rest of the directions." He returned to dusting the wooden stand with the vase.

She nodded again and tried to remember what was just told to her. "Thanks Alfred!" She gave him a quick hug then dashed off down the hall. Alfred stood there slightly shocked. It sure was going to be different having a girl in the mansion. He wasn't sure if young Richard would cope or crumble. One thing for sure was that Dick was falling head over heel for her. He sighed. How he hoped Bruce knew what he was doing.

"Uh, Alfred?" The black haired girl appeared behind him again which startled him slightly.

"Yes, Miss Zatanna?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Did you say second right or second left?"

**OOOooo000 000oooOOO**

Zatanna groaned as she stepped out of the car. Self-consciously she tugged on her short navy blue skirt. She was used to wearing short skirts, but this one was ridiculously short. This insecurity was probably due to the fact that there were going to be people judging and sizing her up. Also, it didn't help that she was smart enough to be in grade 10, and that she hadn't been to a school since grade 3.

Dick jumped out behind her, grinning as always. "You look fine." He said. Zatanna rolled her eyes. _'Why?' _She asked herself. _'Why did I get stuck with him?' _Something, or more like some_one_, caught his attention and he dashed off without a word. Zatanna sighed and took a few steps forward. She looked at the fancy silver wire gate as she approached it. It was elegant, a good piece of proof that this was a prestigious school. Her skin burned with the stares of people. _'Be brave Zatanna.' _She held her chin up then walked confidently past the gate and into the courtyard. Oh how she hoped she looked more confident then she felt. Zatanna had always believed in having a good first impression. Even from her young grade 3 experience she knew that you couldn't show weakness, or they would tear you to pieces in the vicious cycle.

It hadn't been long before a pretty girl with wavy blonde hair casually strolled up to Zatanna. It was clear that she was rich, popular, demanding and had all the right connections. Her eyes were a soft blue, but Zatanna knew better. She knew that those eyes were more like thin shards of ice, and were as sharp as razors. The blonde girl extended her dainty hand. The expensive corporate deluxe manicure she had was quite obvious. "I'm Bette, the student liaison. Welcome to Gotham Academy." A smile played on her face but Zatanna could see past her nice girl facade.

Zatanna smiled back smugly. She placed her hand in Bette's and shook it lightly, carefully showing off her own dainty fingers and nails. On the weekend, M'gann had given her a pretty mean manicure that was just as good as the rich girls. "Hi, I'm Zatanna."

The girl assessed her for a moment longer before letting go of Zatanna's hand. She smiled and motioned for the raven haired girl to follow. "I think you'll fit in here nicely. Come and I'll introduce you to everybody." They both started making their way to a group of giggling girls and some really cute guys.

As Zatanna followed Bette she thought about what had just occurred. It had been a stand-off. Bette had sized up her not-so-unsuspecting victim and was out smarted. At first Zatanna had been afraid, but something deep down inside her surfaced. Something she had never experienced before, and she liked it. She had gone from a nervous mouse to a sharp-eyed eagle. _'Darn Dick...and Robin...and Superboy! National geographic channel has got to be a form of torture!' _Another thought came to her mind. One that slightly saddened her._'What would dad think of my attitude?'_

She shook the thoughts from her head. There was no time for thinking of him. Thoughts of him would only hold her back, and like Harm had told her and Artemis, she couldn't fight the world if she was too busy fighting herself. She had the chance to try new things now and that was exactly what she planned on doing.

**Good? Bad? Yes, no, maybe? What would you** **guys like to see in later chapters? Is there anything you think I need to improve on? Thanks for reading and please review. :D**


	5. Fights

**Sup! How've you been doing lately? I'm pretty tired at the moment, since it's really late at night. Sorry if there are any errors, like I said, it's late at night.**

**I think this chapters got a bit of everything; School, Artemis, chalant, fighting and more. Hopefully you'll all like it. :D Thank you for reviewing Irenerb, PD3, PowerToThePeople23, Donnie360, Airmage, Violet 1313, NoVa54, highlander348, mazeygrace18, kaithelonechampion and j9162! You all made my day(s). Thank you! And Thanks to the people who read it!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Young Justice or 'Stonger' which is by Kelly Clarkson.**

School was _exhausting_. Now Zatanna knew why everyone came back to the cave complaining about how hard school was that day. It was not only exhausting, but confusing too. She'd come to the conclusion that she too did not like school. It made her feel more lost than she already felt. She didn't need or want that. It frustrated her so much and she had no clue how she was meant to endure this permanently if she could barely handle the first day. When the bell for lunch finally rang, she felt so relieved. Hastily she stacked her books into her arms and walked out the door with the majority of the class.

She managed to slip through the crowds of teens and make it to her locker. Her fist attempt at unlocking her locker failed, as did the second and third. Someone tapped her on the shoulder causing Zatanna to jump out of her skin. She turned to see Dick smirking at her. The raven haired boy shuffled closer and knocked her out of the way so he could open her locker. He spun it in three different ways before it clicked open. Zatanna just stared at him. She was going to say something but he beat her to it. "You're welcome sis. By the way, your code's actually 5, 23, 11." He grinned then walked away.

Zatanna watched him leave. If it were anyone else she would have been totally amazed at that little stunt, but it was Dick, so she found it highly irritating. He had the nerve to come over and effortlessly open her own locker for her. She stuffed the books into her locker and took out the neatly wrapped salad sandwich she had packed. In a huff she slammed her locker shut and stomped toward the courtyard.

Once she was outside she had no clue what to do or where to go. Her confusion didn't last long though because Bette waved calling her over. Careful not to disappoint Bette and her group, she smiled coolly and walked over to them. They all sat on a table that was nicely shaded by a tall tree. Bette's group was a nice mix of boys and girls. It had become clear to Zatanna that they were the popular bunch of the school and that it was in her best interests not to tick them off. Anyway, Zatanna liked them; they were fun to be with. Bette shuffled over and motioned towards the empty space next to her. "Hey Zatanna, come sit here." Zatanna smiled again and sat down next to the blonde. She unwrapped half of her sandwich and took a few nibbles.

The girls talked about various subjects such as manicures, where they went shopping, what's been happening lately, ect., while the boys talked about sport. Zatanna was listening to the girls and mentally taking notes on what they said. An unexpected voice from behind the raven haired girl startled her. "Zatanna?"

She turned to see a more familiar blonde standing there. "Artemis!"

Artemis looked at the table of people Zatanna was sitting with and slightly frowned. "Do you wanna come and sit with me and..."

Bette cut her off from finishing her question. "No thank you. Zatanna doesn't want to sit next to a loser like you." The teens at the table all snickered. "She's with us, aren't you Zatanna?" Bette asked smugly.

Zatanna was torn. After the Harm incident, Artemis had become Zatanna's best friend and they'd been through so much together, but Zatanna didn't want to make an Enemy of Bette, which was clearly going to happen if she went with Artemis. _'Artemis will always be my friend, no matter what I choose, and I'll still see her at the cave.' _Zatanna thought. She looked apologetically at Artemis. "Sorry, but I'm sitting with these guys."

The angry look Artemis usually wore was replaced with a deep snarl. "Well, _Zatanna_, I hope you have fun with these... _rich brats_!" She spat before she stormed off in a rage. A pang of regret swirled in Zatanna's stomach as she watched her friend leave.

A brown haired girl at the table laughed. "And don't you forget it, _tomboy_!" She shouted after her. The teens once again snickered. Artemis didn't look back though. _'She'll calm down soon and I'll apologize to her at training.'_ Zatanna thought and then smiled. _'Nothing to worry about.'_

The brown haired girl glared suspiciously at Zatanna. "How do you know Artemis?" She demanded. All eyes focused intently on the raven haired girl.

Zatanna shrugged nonchalantly. "Kick boxing sparring partners." She lied, _kinda_. Technically they were kick boxing sparring partners; she just left out whole being-a-superhero-and-trained-by Black-Canary part. "What's up with her?" She asked eager to change the subject.

"Well," Bette started. "When she first got here we tried to take her in, show her around. We were always so nice to her and helped her out, but one day there was an incident. She got mad and lashed out John," The blonde looked at the handsome red head next to sitting beside her. _'Someone has a crush on John.' _Zatanna mentally noted Smiling to herself. "and just about broke his nose."

Zatanna's eyes widened. "What? So, she actually punched him?" This surprised Zatanna. She knew that it sounded like something Artemis would do, but she didn't think that the angry archer would lash out at someone at school, and for what reason?

Bette nodded. "Yep. She almost got expelled too! But thanks to Dick and your _'dad'_ she managed to get off lightly."

Zatanna coughed when she said _'dad'_. "Bruce is not my dad! Guardian, yes. Dad? Never!" She protested fiercely.

Bette waved her hands in defence. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." The bell went and Zatanna couldn't be happier. Bette smiled. "See you later?" The brown haired girl, John and the rest of the group stood and waited for Bette.

Zatanna smiled back. "Sure, same table?" She asked.

Bette just laughed. So did some of the other people around the blonde. "No-one sits at this table but us." She gave another quick laugh before walking off to class. Zatanna let out a sigh when they'd left. '_Bruce is not my dad!'_

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"Recognised: Zatanna Zatara, A03." The automated voice boomed through the mountain.

Zatanna materialised at the zeta tubes. She looked around for someone to hang with while waiting for training to start. Very conveniently, a certain bird wearing civvies walked into the room jamming away listening to his IPod. He spotted her and, instead of getting embarrassed, winked at her, still continuing to dance. She giggled. "toot ple kay metinis til es reportica." The IPod levitated away from a startled Robin and into the hands of Zatanna. She smirked at his reaction. Gently she placed an ear bud in her ear and almost choked on her inhaled breath when she heard what song was playing. The ear bud was pulled out real quick.

Robin raised an eyebrow and smirked at _her_ reaction. "I don't have any songs that are _that_ bad. Which one was it?"

Zatanna shook her head. "'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson." She smiled. "Sorry, it was just a... not very whelming coincident that this song would come on. Uh, let's just say there's some awkward memories attached to it." Robins grin grew larger and Zatanna realised why. "No, I will not tell you about it!" She yelled, guessing that's what he was going to ask.

Robin pretended to pout. "Aww, you're no fun." With his ninja skills he snatched the IPod back. "What's it like living with your new family?" A sudden but unknown tone of concern and seriousness laced his voice.

"Oh man, where do I begin?" She joked. The little bird did his creepy ninja cackle. Shudders were sent down Zatanna's spine, yet she didn't know why. Every time she'd heard his infamous cackle, that same thing happened and it wasn't that she didn't like it. She thought his cackle was, cute. "Stop doing that." She scolded him playfully. "I love the huge mansion and the old butler's cooking is amazing, also Bruce is really nice."

"But?" Robin hinted, clearly amused.

"But I can't stand my 'brother'. He drives me crazy! The kids always so smug and cocky...kinda like you." They both smirked.

The two started walking towards the couch together. The little troll flipped over the back of the couch just to prove her point. She just rolled her eyes and sat on the other couch. "So, how was your first day of school?" Robin asked while turning on the TV. It was obvious that Superboy had been the last one to watch TV, because it was left on a static channel.

The young magician groaned which made Robin laugh. He looked at the pretty raven haired girl and couldn't help but smile. "I officially have new respect for how you guys are able to come and train after a day at school. Dick was as annoying as ever." She smiled at him and he was aware of the grin he wore. _'She's so oblivious.'_ He thought. "I made some friends and..."

An announced arrival cut her off. "Recognised: Artemis, B07" The blonde archer angrily stormed in then stormed away towards the training room.

Kaldur took that moment to come from the direction Artemis was heading. Poor unsuspecting Kaldur copped it as she walked past roughly knocking into his shoulder, not caring if it hurt him. He stared after her in confusion before walking over to stand behind the two younger teens on the couch. He looked at them bewildered. "What is wrong with Artemis?" He asked concerned.

Robin just shrugged. "Not having a very asterous day?" He supplied. Kaldur also shrugged it off. But Zatanna knew the truth deep down; she just didn't want to admit it.

"Sorry guys, I need to talk to her." She sighed then rose to her feet and walked away towards the training room, leaving both Kaldur _and_ Robin confused.

Zatanna found Artemis in the training room, beating the stuffing out of a boxing bag. Calmly Zatanna strolled up to the very angry archer, careful not to let the fear that she felt show. Artemis pounded forcefully away at the bag, ignoring the raven haired girl. Zatanna nervously shuffled her feet. "Hey Artemis."

She waved and Artemis stopped punching the bag. The archer narrowed her eyes dangerously at the other girl. "What do you want?" She spat.

Before Zatanna could answer a voice boomed through the mountain. "Recognised: Black Canary, 13."

There was a short silence before Black Canary's voice was heard over the speakers. "Team, report to the training room for training."

Artemis moved past Zatanna and over to her bag. "You're lucky." She whispered in a threatening tone. Zatanna let out a silent sigh of relief.

**/O\\\\\\**

Training started by Canary showing and explaining some moves, with Wally's help. Once she'd felt Wally had been embarrassed enough, she let him have a breather. He exhaled and plonked down beside Robin's feet. "Ok, I need two of you to come up here and put into practice what I just showed you." The older blonde paused. "Zatanna and Artemis, you two can spar. No weapons or powers and try using the moves I just taught you, go." Black Canary and the rest of the team stepped off the training floor as it lit up.

Artemis grinned wickedly and lunged forward at Zatanna. The magician was startled but reacted just before Artemis stuck her. She took up a defensive stance waiting for Artemis' next attack."I wanted to say that I'm really, really sorry about what happened today." Zatanna confessed dodging a kick.

Artemis just laughed and shook her head. "You're sorry? You're sorry? Unbelievable." She continued her raging assault on the younger girl. A few punches and kicks clipped Zatanna.

Artemis' boot flew alarmingly close to Zatanna's panicked face. "I'm really sorry and I didn't mean to hurt you, it's just..." Zatanna tried to reason. It was obvious to everyone that Artemis had far superior fighting skills and that Zatanna had no chance of winning this fight.

"Just what?" Artemis cut her off. "You'd prefer to hang out with those rich little brats. What you did today, that hurt. You betrayed me." The archer angrily swung at Zatanna.

Zatanna caught her wrist and swiftly elbowed the older girl's stomach. "And you betrayed them by hurting John. I'm sorry miss moody, I really am, but you don't want to listen. What else can I do? And I'm sorry that I want friends at school rather than walking around alone like a total freak!" Zatanna yelled, suddenly taking the offence. Artemis evaded most of her attacks but did get the occasional hit.

Everything seemed to slow down. Both girls charged for each other, determined to hit their opponent with deadly accuracy. Unfortunately for Zatanna, accuracy was Artemis' specialty. In the blink of an eye Artemis had Zatanna in a position where her wrists her behind her back and at a painful angle. A crack was heard from one of them resulting in Zatanna crying out in pain. There were several shocked gasps from the bystanders. In a desperate attempt to get away, Zatanna managed to wriggle free of Artemis' hold. She dropped to deliver a swipe kick to the archer's shins but the archer saw this coming.

The archers kick connected with Zatanna's head and the girl went down. For a minute there Zatanna blacked out. When her eyes opened, a fuzzy looking, vaguely familiar boy was looking down at her. She blinked her eyes clear and sat up moaning. Instantly her hand went to her sore head. She looked at the boy and recognised him to be Robin. Robin sighed in relief. "She's ok." He called and several other sighs could be heard. "You ok?" he asked her concerned.

She nodded lightly. "Yeah, just dizzy and I've got a killer head ache." She tried to stand up but winced in pain at her wrist. The little bird noticed this and got Conner to help her up. She nodded at both boys thankfully.

She tried to leave but Black Canary grabbed her shoulder."Med bay, now!" The woman demanded. Sighing reluctantly, Zatanna let Robin help her to the med bay so she could get her wrist and concussion sorted out.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

Zatanna opened the door of the manor to see Bruce, Alfred and Dick looking worriedly at her. Bruce was the first to speak up. "Are you ok? Your friends called to say what happened."

Dick smirked which annoyed Zatanna at that moment. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

"Pretty impressive. Tripping on thin air and falling down a stair case." Dick added and laughed.

"I'm going to my room" Zatanna announced, still in a grumpy tone. After the physical and emotional fighting against Artemis, the girl was exhausted. She started up the stairs towards her room.

Alfred followed to help show her the way. They silently made their way through the halls. She was so grateful that Alfred was showing her the way, otherwise she'd be hopelessly lost. When they reached her door Alfred put his hand on her shoulder. "If you need anything Miss Zatanna, just call."

"Thanks Alfred." She opened her door and slammed it behind her. She lay down on her bed and thought about the fight. _'who needs her anyway? I've got plenty of new friends, I don't need her.' _Zatanna thought. _'Not me, that's for sure! I'm brave and I don't need her help anyway! I don't need anyone!'_

**Thanks for reading and please review. :D Have a good night!**


	6. Misson

**Quickly gotta post this. I'm going to my cousin's party. Sorry if you've been waiting awhile but I'm back at school now so I've got to balance that with my writing now. :D**

**Thanks to Irenerb, highlander348, greekfreak101, PowerToThePeople23, Ashley, 2fast2live, j9162, AvarielArcher, PD3, Donnie360 and Violet 1313. Thanks heaps, I really appreciate the reviews! And thanks to the readers. **

**This chapter is based on episode 21: Images**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

After another long day at school, Zatanna found herself on the mountain's couch again. Sitting across from her, just like the day before, was a certain bird. The only difference was that Conner and Wally were also in the room. Robin sat there laughing away at something on his laptop, with Wally leaning over his shoulder staring at it amusedly, and Superboy watching the static channel. Zatanna felt a smile spread across her face. She was meant to be reading the book in her hands, but she couldn't stop watching _him_; and no, she was not referring to Wally or Conner. The way he smiled, laughed, cackled, trained; she loved everything about him and would probably do anything for him. Did that mean she was falling for him? They were just good friend's, right? But then, why was she so protective of him? She thought it wasn't anything more than best friends, but maybe it was more. Why would she love everything about him yet not love him? She sighed. It was confusing her.

Robin looked up at her when he heard her sigh, noticing the way she was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and was about to comment when the speakers interrupted him. Batman's deep voice got their attention. "Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian: Report for mission briefing." Zatanna sat up straight when her name wasn't mentioned. Both she and Robin exchanged bewildered looks before she shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Deep down though she was disheartened, still she put on a happy face. She knew Robin wouldn't go if he saw her disappointment. Robin flashed a smile at her then flipped over the back of the couch and walked towards the briefing area with Wally and Conner.

Zatanna stayed on the couch and tried to read. It wasn't going to well. _'Why didn't I get called to go on a mission?'_ She thought downcast. Approaching steps from the hallway got her attention. Zatanna spun around to see Artemis enter the room with a green duffle bag.

"You didn't get picked either, did you?" The Archer asked in a grumpy tone. She threw the duffle bag onto one of the couches and flopped down beside it. It was quite a large, rectangular bag. Zatanna shook her head in response which Artemis completely ignored anyway. "As soon as they get out of there I'm going to take Batman's head off." The blonde muttered with venom lacing her voice. Zatanna's eye's slightly widened when she saw Artemis pull and arrow and arrow sharpener from the duffle bag. Artemis gripped it with white knuckles and sharpened it with deadly force and anger.

'_She's really going to take Batman's head off!' _Zatanna thought alarmed. _'She's got more than just anger management problems, she's a complete psycho!' _Nervously the raven haired girl withdrew closer towards the back of her couch. She watched Artemis sharpen her weapons, cautiously eyeing every single move she made and making sure not to make a sound. They sat there in an awkward silence for a while and she heaved a huge sigh of relief when the team finally filed into the room. She rushed over to Robin, filled with curiosity, her book and the archer almost forgotten. A spark of hope lit up inside her. "What happened?" She asked.

"Covert mission to discover something behind Queen Bee's plan to unite Qurac and Bialya. Us four will take the bioship pretty much right now and fly to the boarder of the two countries." Her spark of hope died when Robin said _us four_, but Zatanna didn't let it show. He smiled at her and grabbed her shoulders. "I'll be back real soon." He smirked then ran off towards the rooms, _'to pack' _she guessed.

"Zatanna and Artemis, Report to the training room." Zatanna inwardly groaned. She did _not _want to go on a mission with Artemis, especially when the blonde was in such a foul mood. Zatanna was sure that if she and Artemis went out on a mission, one of them wouldn't make it back to the cave, and she wasn't joking. The archer stormed toward the training room with her newly sharpened arrow still in her hand and the young magician followed, being careful to keep her distance. Artemis marched into the room and right up to Batman. Zatanna watched in utter disbelief as the older girl swung her arrow's tip right up close to Batman's masked face. "What's the deal? Why aren't Zatanna and I going on this mission?" She demanded impatiently.

The dark knight was not impressed. He let out a low pitch growl that made Zatanna flinch. Artemis backed off a little but still kept her defiant stance. Batman's eyes narrowed into white slits. "Artemis, you're suspended from the team until further notice."

Artemis' jaw dropped. She was shaking in her fury. "B-but why? What did I do?" she screeched angrily. The young magician just stood there timidly watching the exchange between the archer and Batman.

"You attacked at team mate at training." He growled.

"It was a sparring session, that's what we're supposed to do!" the archer countered.

"You tore her wrist and knocked her out. That is _not_ what you're supposed to do!" He paused then his voice dropped dangerously low. "Go home until you get your anger under control." The archer huffed then turned stomped out of the room. Batman turned to Zatanna. "You, Zatanna, are injured and will not be much help for this mission."

Zatanna sighed. It was true; there wasn't much she could do with her wrist in a half cast, though she still wanted to go. Wally got to go on mission when he broke his arm; besides, she wanted to spend some time with Robin. _'It's a selfish reason, but also reasonable, right?'_ Something inside of her told her that she already knew what the answer to that question was though.

She opened her mouth to protest but Batman resumed talking. "Also, for the sake of your identity, you need to spend some time with your new family. This will be the perfect opportunity; otherwise your constant '_activity' _may become suspicious."

She groaned inwardly again. _'Great!'_ She thought sarcastically. _'Just perfect.'_ Hanging with her little monkey-of-a-brother was _not_ what she wanted to be doing, especially when most of her team were on a mission! "Fine." She mumbled as she turned and walked out. Back to Gotham it was for her.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"_Spend some time with your new family_,' he said. _'The perfect_ _opportunity,' _he said." Zatanna grumbled. She went into the giant pantry and brought out a container of rice. It was lunch and she was hungry. _'At least I've got the mansion to myself.'_ She thought as she poured the rice into a small pot of water. Zatanna _would_ be spending some time with her family, if they were home. Bruce had to fly to Qurac on urgent business and Dick had gone with him. They would both be back in a week, which left her and Alfred alone in the mansion. Alfred just left to do the shopping so she truly was all alone. She put the pot over a medium flame on the stove then got out a wooden spoon to stir it occasionally with.

She started humming a random tune that was in her head. _'Maybe being alone isn't the worst thing that can happen.' _She thought. Tired of waiting she got the spoon and stirred the rice. She put the spoon back down and kept humming. Impatiently she drummed her fingers against the hard marble bench top to the same tune. Next her foot started tapping, and then before she knew it she was dancing. Actually, she wasn't just dancing, but crazy dancing. Then she felt the urge to start shuffling.

A bubbling sound spooked the girl and made her jump. She put a hand over her heart and calmed down when she realised it was just the rice boiling. Quickly Zatanna dashed over and put a lid on the pot, turning the heat down to let it simmer. Sighing she returned back to where she was standing before. The humming came back and soon she was dancing again.

Zatanna was oblivious to the fact that Alfred had come back early and that he was coming towards the kitchen. She stayed oblivious until Alfred walked into the room. "Alfred!" She jumped again.

"I'm sorry to startle you Miss Zatanna. I just realised that I forgot the shopping list." Her cheeks flushed rosy pink. Alfred smiled slightly. He grabbed a small white piece of note paper from the bench then moved to leave. He stopped in the door way. "You may want to check your rice, Miss Zatanna."

"Huh?" The raven haired quickly looked behind her to see bubbles foaming and oozing out of the gap between lid and pot. "Damn." She said then rushed to the pot. "Thanks Alfred!" She called as the old butler left the room.

**I hope you enjoyed that. Please leave a review and thanks for reading. Good night peoples.**


	7. Thanksgiving

**Ok, I'm back. Wow, I haven't updated in ages; sorry guys, that's slack of me. Got the flu, bad, and I couldn't write last week. Anyway, there's no excuse. I hope you all like this chapter, and an early happy Thanksgiving.**

**Thanks to kindleflame5, Irenerb, Donnie360, 2fast2live, TRAFALGARLAWSGURL22, loling guest, PD3, Violet 1313, Ashley, j9162 and Chalant Lover. You guys make my day every time I write a story. :D Thank you!**

**This chapter is based on episode 22: Agendas.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

The young magician rolled over groggily and pulled the covers over her shoulders more, making sure not to let any warmth escape. It was chilly in the early morning. She snuggled back into the bed and was drifting back into sleep when an eerily familiar cackle sounded in the distance. Tingles ran down her spine and a smile crept onto her face. _'This is going to be a good day.'_

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

Zatanna stumbled sleepily into the room, completely unnoticed. It had to be about 7 in the morning; too early to be awake, yet too late to go back to sleep. She stifled a yawn and looked around the room to see Robin standing next to Wally, a grin spreading from ear to ear. "What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?"

"What?" Wally begged with building anticipation. Zatanna carefully stepped back and let the shadows of the door frame conceal her. She had no idea why she felt the need to hide, but she did. "Tell me."

Robin laughed at Wally's enthusiasm. "Where's my tractor?"

Both boys grinned at the awful punch line. "Awww, come on! That was lame!" Wally complained.

"I'd like to hear a better one from you then." Robin challenged. "Unless you really are as stupid as Arty says you are." He smirked. Something told the girl that he was baiting the red headed speedster.

Wally looked indignantly at his friends comment. "Fine then, I know the best jokes ever. What's yellow and deadly? Shark-infested custard. What do you call cheese that doesn't belong to you?" Zatanna watched robin shake his head and mutter something under his breath. "Nach-your cheese! Get it, as in nacho cheese, yeah?"

Zatanna covered her mouth to stop the laugh from escaping_. 'That joke was so old and lame that it was funny, especially coming from Wally!' _Someone needed to save the unfortunate victims in the room before they all died of bad jokes, and Zatanna was going to be that person. She strolled up to the two boys smirking. "That was a really cheesy joke." Robin was surprised at the sound of her voice, but that faded into a smirk.

"Morning Zee!" M'gann called cheerfully from the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted in from the kitchen. Kaldur also called his greeting from the bench stool he was sitting on. Conner grunted in acknowledgement from the couch.

_'Typical Conner.'_ Zatanna thought rolling her eyes. She turned back to Wally. "Hey Wally, wanna hear a dirty joke?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Robin do his disappearing act, but absently dismissed it.

Wally looked up startled, his eyes widening at the thought of sweet, little Zatanna telling a dirty joke. He grinned at her. "Yeah okay, what'cha got?"

A grin tugged at the corner of the girls lips. "Six white horses fell in the mud." The look on his face was hilariously funny. She cracked up laughing as he stared at her shocked. Robin's laughter also filled the room. Straightening up she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Okay, okay, how do you catch a unique bird?"

Wally brightened a little. "How?"

"You 'neak up on it!" Zatanna laughed. She noticed Robin sneaking up on Wally, with what appeared to be a bucket of water. _'This looks like fun.'_ She thought, and then tried to occupy Wally's attention with the next part of the joke. "How do you catch a tame bird?"

"Um, how?"

"The tame way, you 'neak up on it!" She took a step back as the signature cackle filled the air and the bucket's contents were dumped over Wally's head. By Wally's reaction she guessed it was cold water. The little bird and young magician laughed out loud as they high-fived on a job well done.

Wally was shivering. He glared at the bird, his teeth chattering as he spoke. "I'll get you back, mark my words. I'm going to go have a shower, but it's on!" His eyes narrowed. "For you and your girlfriend." Wally smirked as he sprinted out of the room.

Zatanna and Robin both blushed and shuffled uncomfortable. _'His girlfriend? As if.'_ Surprisingly the thought ran through both of their heads. "Sooo..." She begun, trying to relieve the tension. "What's with all the joking and pranking and..." Her voice dripped low so that only Robin could hear. "Unburnt breakfast." She elbowed him playfully.

The boy chuckled. "Today's Thanksgiving silly, and M'gann's concentrating." He whispered and elbowed her back. Zatanna looked at the stupid grin on his face and smiled. _'This is going to be a very good day!'_

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

The zeta tube lit up blue as the computer announced an arrival. _"Recognized: Speedy, B06."_

"That's Red Arrow!" The archer growled. Everyone in the room was shocked at the new arrival, except Wally, who just sat there grinning. "What are you all staring at?" He snapped as he threw himself onto one of the couches.

"Roy! B-but what are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to come!" Robin exclaimed. He still couldn't get over the fact that Roy was there.

The grumpy archer snorted. "I didn't think I'd be here either, but Wally talked me into it."

All eyes turned to Wally. The speedster just shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back into the couch. "I thought everyone, including the archers, should be here for Thanksgiving."

This time it was Zatanna's turn to snort. "I don't think you could get Artemis here. She's too mad about missing the Qurac mission." The magician crossed her arms across her chest. Robin put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, so she smiled back at him.

_"Recognized: Artemis, B07."_

Zatanna's stared dumbfounded at Wally. She was stunned that he'd managed to pull that off. _'Mental Note: Wally's very good at persuasion.'_

He grinned smugly at her. "You were saying?"

"What do you want Baywatch?!" Screeched the female archer. She froze when she entered the room and found the whole team and Roy all sitting there. In a huff she sat down on 'Arty's chair', as it had been dubbed by a certain speedster. "Start explaining!" She snarled.

Wally's grin only doubled in size. "As you all know, it's Thanksgiving today, and I thought what better way to celebrate then bring everyone here for games and stuff." Both archers and Superboy stood up to leave. "Please, please, pretty please!" Wally begged on his hands and knees.

Zatanna didn't think it would work, but the three sighed and sat down. "You better make it worth it, Baywatch." Artemis threatened.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"This is so lame!" Artemis complained.

Zatanna couldn't disagree more. It was fun and... interesting. She'd already learned so many new things about her team mates. For instance, Kaldur had an imaginary friend when he was growing up, Artemis has a teddy bear, Wally is claustrophobic, and Robin used to be afraid of the dark. She smiled at the irony of the last one. The fearless Boy Wonder, partner of the Dark Knight, was once afraid of the dark. She turned to the male archer. "Roy, what's the one place you would do anything to see?"

"The Watchtower." Almost as if he were a robot he replied without hesitation. No one seemed to notice his speedy reaction, so Zatanna ignored it as well. Wally and Robin knuckled while Kaldur smiled approvingly at Roy's answer. Everyone knew what being accepted into the Watchtower meant to those four boys. Roy looked at the little ninja. "Robin, who makes you smile?" A smirk appeared on the older boys face and Wally grinned when they saw their little bird squirm uncomfortably.

Robin began to blush which made everyone grin, even Superboy. "The person who makes me smile is Zatanna." That caused the young magician to blush. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

_'That means he likes me too, doesn't it?'_ She thought_. 'Yes! He does! This is so exciting! But what happens now? Do I talk to him or wait for him to talk to me? Wait, no! What am I doing? Robs my best friend, I really gotta stop thinking of him like that.'_ She sighed mentally. _'I won't say I'm in love, not yet.'_

"Hey, do you guys want to go play some extreme outdoor games?" Wally asked getting impatient of sitting around. The teens all nodded enthusiastically, letting evil smirks grace their faces. "We'll play outside, obviously, and the rules are to be negotiated on when we're out there. May the best teen win."

Zatanna was about to follow when M'gann grabbed her arm and dragged her to the kitchen. "Where are you going, we need to start cooking the turkey for dinner. Come on!" Zatanna opened her mouth to protest but M'gann beat her to it. "Please? I can't cook it alone."

The younger girl sighed in defeat. "Fine." She mumbled. "I'll help."

M'gann jumped in the air and gave a little cheer. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is going to be so fun, it'll be just like I read about on Mars with the turkey and vegetables and pies-"

_'Noooo I'm doomed!' She thought gloomily.'_

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

Cool water ran strong from the tap. Eventually it grew warmer and Zatanna placed a large tray of cranberries under it. After a thorough soaking, she pulled them away and drained them. When they were fully dry, she put them into a silver tray. "I just washed the berries, where do you want them."

"I'll deal with them; you get started on seasoning the turkey." The tray was levitated right from Zatanna's hands by M'gann and placed on the bench behind various other foods. At that moment the speedster zipped in and sat on a stool at the bench. He sat right in front of the cranberries.

"Hey Wally, Weren't you playing outside?" Zatanna asked. She was sooooo jealous that he could run around outside and she was stuck cooking. Now would be a really good time to get struck by purple lightning and end up switching places with KF. Unfortunately things like that don't happen and she was stuck with the big, fat turkey.

A grin spread across his face that she could almost slap. If she and Artemis were still friends she would have felt sorry for the archer putting up with him. "I came to scab some early lunch before I go home." He reached into the recently washed cranberries and took a handful.

"Gobble, gobble." Again he grabbed some of cranberries and shoveled them in his mouth. "I love Thanksgiving." He tried to reach back a third time when a wooden spoon came down hard on his knuckles. "Ow!" The speedster complained.

M'gann giggled, girly as ever. "Those are for dinner Wally."

For a moment she ignored Wally and M'gann. "Nosaes eht tsaor yekrut." The seasoning flew from her finger tips and landed on the raw turkey. It was a giant turkey, almost half the size of Zatanna, ridiculously big. "There, seasoned to perfection and ready for the oven." She smiled proudly at it and dusted her hands. 'Not bad, if I do say so myself.'

"Wally, I thought you were eating with your family?"

"Oh yeah, Dad'll kill me if I'm late." He grabbed as my cranberries as he could shoved them into his h before sprinting out of the room. "Cya!" He yelled behind him.

"Wally!" M'gann yelled after him even though she was aware that he was already well and truly out of the room. A snuffle brought her attention back to the kitchen. She looked over at the young magician to see that she had tears in her eyes that threatened to spill.

Zatanna stood up straight and wiped her eyes. "It's nothing, the onions." She tried to cover up by lying, but that didn't work. M'gann came close to her. "These are all the things I used to cook for... It's my first Thanksgiving without my dad." The martian wrapped her arms around Zatanna in sympathy. After some hesitation Zatanna hugged back and even started sobbing. _'Dammit.'_ She thought. Her plan was to pretend to be sad so that she could be excused from cooking, but now she didn't need to pretend_. 'Who am I kidding? I'm not strong enough to control that emotion yet.'_

After another minute Zatanna pulled away, wiping her eyes again. Conner stood from the hastily from the couch. The raven haired girl forgot that he was even in the room. M'gann saw the rush he was in and turned in his direction. "Conner?"

"Figure you don't want my help in the kitchen." He replied, gruff as ever. "Remember the last time?"

M'gann frowned good-naturedly. "Uh, yeah. But..."

He quickly cut her off and walked away. "I'm just walking Wolf, no big."

The martian stood there and watched her boyfriend leave. She shook her head and turned back to Zatanna. "Hey Zee, do you want to go outside?"

Zatanna smirked mentally. Her plan had succeeded. "But what about the cooking?!" She asked in mock shock.

"I'll finish doing the vegetables while you go change. You can't go out in the snow wearing that." M'gann levitated all the soaking wet vegetables into an oven tray then levitated the tray into the oven. Zatanna hugged M'gann then sprinted towards her room.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

She trudged through the snow, raven hair whipping behind her, into the clearing where her leader was standing. He smiled warmly at her, despite the freezing cold. She returned the smile. Without warning the clearing exploded with snowballs. They rained down on the two unsuspecting victims. Through the onslaught of snow balls she caught glimpses of 2 people, both resembling the archers. In a feeble attempt to get away Zatanna backed up toward a mound of snow. The closer she got though, the harder they came down on her. She reached it and slid to the cold ground. Her arms moved protectively to shield her head.

Then, it stopped, just as sudden as it had come. Gingerly she pulled her arms away and looked up to see a masked face smiling down at her. The little bird was perched on the top of the snow mound, grinning away. That was when Zatanna noticed the massive snowball hovering above his head. She giggled at how ridiculous it looked. Curiosity drew her attention to where she saw the two people. Both archers stood with their hands up defensively, a snowball hanging over their heads too. M'gann and Kaldur stood beside each other smirking. "Are you going to stop now?"

The two archers stood there totally unimpressed. "This is all Robin's fault" Roy muttered to himself. "Fine, but can you drop the snowballs?" he grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Whatever you say." M'gann chirped smiling slyly. She lowered her hands and the snowballs came down on the three. M'gann and Kaldur thought it was hilarious. Zatanna looked at the ninja's expression and giggled again.

"Thanks Roy! You idiot! Of course if you ask her to drop them she's going to comply." Artemis grumbled while she dusted the snow from her jacket.

Robin grinned at Zatanna who held her hand extended to him. He took it and she helped him to his feet, shaking the snow off in the process. Together they walked over to the team, oblivious to the fact that they were still holding hands. "What do you suggest we do now?" Kaldur asked.

Zatanna shrugged. "Extreme team tag?" The teens all nodded in agreement.

"M'gann, Kaldur and I can be one team, while you two lovebirds and Roy are the other." Artemis snickered. Robin and Zatanna realized they had been holding hands and quickly pulled them apart. Their red faces greatly contrasted against the white snow. The archers snickered while the martian and Atlantian just chuckled.

"You're on!" Robin grinned looking at Zatanna and Roy. "Try to keep up." He laughed.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

The day had been fun. Zatanna could honestly say it was the best Thanksgiving she ever had. She didn't think it could get any better. She sighed and went to sit down when Robin snatched her hand and whisked her away. "Robin! What-" he turned around, a smile plastered on his face, and shushed her then yanked her arm. She had no choice but to follow him. She was thankful that he didn't grab her sore wrist.

He dragged her up a few flights of stairs that she didn't even know about, never slowing his pace. The girl was beginning to tire when Robin finally slowed down. "Close your eyes." He said. She obeyed letting him guide her. "No peeking, Ok?" She nodded. The stairs stopped and she was hit by a freezing breeze. It sent a chill down her spine. The two teen's fingers entwined as they held hands. "You can open now." The bird whispered.

Zatanna opened her eyes and what she saw took her breath away. They were standing on a ledge at the top of the mountain, overlooking the ocean. The ground as far as you could see was covered in snow. The bay gently lapped at the cold shore. The whole expanse was either white or blue, besides the occasional brown tree trunks. The view made standing in the biting cold worth it. She rubbed the thin jacket she had on to warm herself up. Robin noticed this and took his big warm coat to drape over her shoulders. "Thanks." She said smiling at him.

He looked deep into blue eyes; the sparkled like diamonds. She looked into his shades hoping to catch a glimpse of his eyes; unsuccessfully. "Zatanna, I need to talk to you." The usual grin on his face faded into a serious look.

Zatanna's heart beat quickened. _'He's not going to say it!'_

"I'm not sure how you're going to react to what I say, but here goes..." He looked at her and smiled. "You're so beautiful and amazing and... I love you."

Her heart skipped a beat and she let out her pent up breath in relief. A panicked expression made its way onto the boy's face when Zatanna sighed. "I love you too Robin." She quickly blurted out so that he wouldn't get the wrong idea. It felt good to finally get that off her chest.

A big grin spread across his face. "I've had a crush on you since you were first introduced to the team. This whole time I've been falling in love with you, but I've been too scared to say something."

"Me too, I didn't know if you felt the same." He pulled her into a hug. All her fear melted away when she was in his arms; it felt so perfect. In fact, the type of perfect where something always happens to spoil the moment.

"Robin, Zatanna!" Roy appeared behind them. He smirked when he saw Robins arms wrapped around Zatanna. "Uh sorry, hope I wasn't interrupting or anything... But we kind of have a... Situation."

Robin couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. "What kind of situation?"

Roy grinned. "M'gann set the oven on fire."

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"Where's Conner?" Artemis asked as she took her seat at the table.

The martian looked worried but shrugged it off. "He hasn't come back from walking Wolf. I'm sure he's fine though. He might've even been invited to Wally's." She shrugged again then cheered up. "Ok, going around the table you have to tell us what you're thankful for. I'll start, I'm thankful for-"

Zatanna tuned out. She looked at the people around her and was thankful. She was thankful that Robin called who-knows-who and managed to get a delicious turkey and vegetables for them to eat. She was thankful that she even had food on the table. She was thankful that she had Robin. Heck, she was even thankful for the archers. There was so much she had to be thankful for.

"Hey Zee, what are you thankful for?"

Everyone's eyes turned to the girl. She smiled warmly at them. "I'm thankful of you guys. For the family my friends have become. Thanks!"

**Well that took ages to write. 3,602 words long, that's now officially the longest chapter I've ever wrote (my old record being 2,650, something like that. Thanks for reading and please review. :D**


	8. Inside

**That's right, I'm still alive. I probably can't keep saying how sorry I am, so I'll say it once, I'M REALLY SORRY! Am I forgiven? Yes? No? maybe? Also, I was completely satisfied with **_**Satisfaction. **_** Anyways, I've completed this chapter (as you can see :) and yeah. So I'll let you read now.**

**Thank you to my wonderful reviewers: Irenerb, Guest, Chalant Lover, PD3,2fast2live, Donnie360, tdyn0, Violet 1313, j9162, kaithelonechampion, WolfTail Run and Ansa88. Thanks! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own YJ.**

_December 1__st_

The hallway was buzzing with busy teens all scrambling in every which directions trying to get here and there. It was a nightmare for anyone, not just the small people. One false move and it would be so easy to get lost or trampled or worse…

Of course, Zatanna didn't have to worry about that.

She just blended in with Bette's gang. They were high school royalty, the rich and elite. It was plutocracy! They walked the halls without a single care in the world. No-one would dare come near them…. Except Dick.

The kid had no fear. He casually just waltzed up to the raven haired girl. "Hey Zee, how's your day been?" A big grin spread across his face. She was aware that the group had stopped and Bette was watching- _observing _– her. The pretty blonde seemed to wait expectantly for her answer. Zatanna thought Bette almost looked smugly amused. She inwardly gulped. '_It's just your imagination.' _

"_Don't_ call me Zee." Zatanna snarled, slightly glaring at the boy. "What do you want?"

Dick looked taken aback. He opened his mouth and started stuttering. "I-I..just..well…I wanted…"

She rolled her eyes and interrupted. "Spit out, I haven't got all day."

Dick stared at her, his blue eyes softly boring into hers. "I just wanted to know how your day's been, that's all."

"What are you, my keeper?"

Bette stepped forward so that she was almost in Dick's face. "Her day was good until you got here, so I suggest you go take your concern elsewhere, _charity case_." He went stiff the last two words. She leaned in close to his ear. The warm air of her breath near his ear sent tingles down his spine, and not the good kind. "Face the facts, she doesn't like you and she never will." She grinned and straightened up.

Dick's eyes widened. His eyes darted frantically toward Zatanna. She had her arms crossed across her chest and her eyes blazed like a wildfire. _'Man, how could you be so stupid? Of course she doesn't love like you! She's in love with Robin, not Dick.' _He thought.

Slowly, still not taking his stare off Zatanna, he took a few steps back in shock. After he almost tripped he ripped his gaze away and fled into the crowd of spectating teens. Bette and a few of her friends snickered and yelled taunts, calling him names such as 'charity case' or 'circus kid'. Zatanna just stood there. It felt good to get rid of the annoying kid. But deep down inside of her, so deep that she didn't even realize it, she felt so guilty and regretful.

The group moved on and Zatanna followed again, only this time feeling more confident. On their way Zatanna caught a glare from Artemis, who, without a doubt, saw what happened. Zatanna just glared back. They reached her locker and stopped. Bette smiled. "We'll meet you outside, right?"

Zatanna nodded and smiled back. "For sure."

Bette waved then walked off with her friends. Zatanna placed a hand on her lock and spun the dial. The door opened with a 'click'. "That was quite a display back there." A voice sounded beside Zatanna which startled her.

She looked to see a fiery red haired girl leaning against the lockers glaring at her. The fire in her eyes matched that of her hair colour and she was about half a foot taller than Zatanna, not that that was hard. There was something familiar about the girl, she just couldn't place it. Zatanna waved slightly. "Hi, um…" Her voice trailed off as she groped for a name.

"Barbra." The red head supplied. Barbra's eyes narrowed dangerously into what Zatanna thought the batglare would look like without a mask or shades. It made Zatanna flinch, just like the batglare. "Dick's friend." The girl growled, crossing her arms. Then Zatanna remembered exactly who this girl was. This was the girl Dick always hung out with, the one who had come to the mansion a few times when Zatanna had been home.

Zatanna shrugged off her glare and reached into her locker to grab her books. "Uh, yeah."

The raven haired girl gave a small yelp of surprise when hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her back. Barbra got right in front of Zatanna and pointed her finger towards the smaller girl's chest. "Don't pick on Richard, ok? Just don't. He's been through enough in his lifetime; he doesn't need you and your friends to make things harder." Then the red head stormed off.

Zatanna rolled her eyes. _'We've all been through enough in our lifetime, drama queen.'_

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"_Recognized: Zatanna Zatara, B08" _

Zatanna beamed into the cave and headed towards her room. She'd come straight from school to the cave . She could hear Wally and Kaldur in the kitchen, but didn't really feel like hanging out with them, so keep walking down the hall. The hall was strangely quiet.

She was walking past the other's rooms when a strong hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her backwards. The girl tried to scream and struggle but it was no use.

She was pulled into a room where the hand loosened on her mouth. Feeling this, Zatanna used the moment to drop and deliver a low kick to her attacker's shins. She faced her opponent in a fighting stance but was surprised to see a very unimpressed looking Roy. "Roy, what the heck?" Looking around the room she realized it must be his.

Roy just glared at Zatanna. "Sorry, but I need to talk to you about an _issue_."

Zatanna quirked an eyebrow, her anger replaced with curiosity. "What kind of_ issue_ are we talking about?"

"Love hurts when you get involved with the wrong person." He leant against the study table while Zatanna sat down on his bed. "I'm trying to protect one of my brothers."

Zatanna's eyes widened. "If this is about me and Rob- "

"It's not." Roy cut her off. She sighed with relief. "It's Wally and Artemis. I don't like Artemis and I don't want her to hurt Wally."

"And why would you tell me all this?" She queried.

Roy glared at her. "I know you don't like her either and I have reason to believe Wally's going to come to you for advice." Zatanna opened her mouth but Roy continued. "Don't ask me why."

The girl closed her mouth and thought for a minute. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Convince Wally that Arty's kind, caring, confident and what he wants. We're going to sabotage this relationship."

Zatanna stood up and stuck out her hand. "Done."

Roy stood and shook it. "Thank you."

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

The magician entered the kitchen to find the speedster sitting on one of the stools chatting away on his mobile. "See ya later Green Cheeks!" Wally yelled then hung up. Zatanna rolled her eyes and sat on the stool beside him.

"Seriously? You _know _Conner and M'gann are dating, yet you still flirt with her." Wally just shrugged, smiling slyly. "Besides, that's not how you get a girl." She said smirking.

"What do you suggest, Miss I'm-an-expert-now-that-I'm-dating-Rob?" Wally quipped, smirking when he saw her cheeks redden.

"I suggest you don't embarrass the Boy Wonders girlfriend, or she won't stick around."

She was about to jump off the stool when Wally's hand gripped her shoulder. "Don't go! I need to talk to you." She turned and looked at him in semi-mock disbelief. "I hate it when you ninja's disappear."

Zatanna raised an eyebrow in amusement. "So I'm a ninja now?"

"Well yes, no….. maybe?" He smiled and she laughed at him. His face turned serious. "Zatanna, I have a confession. YaseeIloveArtybutIwouldnever tellheroranyoneelsethatandIn eedhelp-"

Zatanna put her hands in the air. "Slow down Wally, I can't understand a word you're saying."

The red head exhaled and stared directly into her eyes. "I love Artemis. I want to know more about her and how I can tell her I love her without getting a broken nose."

'_Here we go.'_ She thought, letting a smirk slip onto her face. "Wow, that's bold West, but Arty isn't an easy nut to crack." She paused and made it look like she was debating with herself. Then after looking around to make sure no-one was about, she turned her gaze back to Wally. "I can help though."

Wally's eyes lit up. "Thank you Zatanna!"

She smiled. "You're welcome. I mean you deserve a girl like Arty. She's so kind and caring. Today, at school, one of the science geeks was getting bullied and she dived right in to his defense, even though it made her look bad." Wally smiled at the thought. "You two are made for each other."

There was a gush of wind momentarily before the speedster returned with two buckets of cookies and cream ice-cream. He handed Zatanna a spoon "How do I tell her how much I love her?" Wally asked.

"This is going to kill you, but _slowly _drop hints. Like telling her she's beautiful or not arguing." She took a spoonful of the ice-cream he held it in the air.

"Thanks sooooooo much!" The speedster called has he zipped off, talking his ice-cream with him. A second later he came back. "Oh and I forgot to tell you…." He leant over and whispered something in her ear. A smile spread across her face as the speedster sped away again.

She shoved her spoon in her mouth and instantly felt the relief of the cool sweet treat. It melted away all her anger and guilt. She didn't even realize she'd felt that bad.

**000OOOooo oooOOO000**

"_Recognized: Robin, B01."_

'_Yes! Robin's here!' _Zatanna stood and smirked. "tropelet ot eht atez ecnartne." In a quick burst of smoke she disappeared from the kitchen and reappeared by the zeta tubes.

"Hey, Boy Wonder!" She called to the boy who was retreating away towards the main room. He turned to face her. I one fluid motion she kissed his cheek then stepped back blushing. He smiled. "Happy Birthday!" She cheered.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Uh… Thanks!" His blush suddenly turned to a look of confusion. "Hold on." He paused in thought. "How'd she even know it's my birthday?"

Wally appeared behind his shoulder looking very smug. "Dude. You're welcome."

A fierce batglare was sent Wally's way before Robin stormed off towards the main room. Zatanna sent a quick questioning glance at the speedster who shrugged in reply. _'Fat lot of help he was!' _She thought then ran after Robin.

She watched the little bird flopped onto the couch with a huff. He lay down, the slits of his eyes narrowing as he glared at the ceiling. Zatanna grabbed the bucket and two spoons of the kitchen counter and walked towards the couch. "Bad day?" She asked him, leaning over the back of the couch.

"You have no idea." He muttered. His eyes refocused on her. She pushed the bucket towards him with a spoon sticking from it. Robin eyed her suspiciously for a minute before sitting up and taking a spoon full of ice-cream.

"Better?" Zatanna asked.

"Much, thank you."

Zatanna jumped over the back of the couch and sat next to him. "You're welcome." She viciously dug the spoon in took another bite of the frozen goodness.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Did you have a bad day?"

Zatanna laughed. "Try a bad week. It's just so hard, everything's changing fast." She looked into his eyes. "I'm slipping! I can't handle it."

A look of guilt flashed across his face, although it was unnoticeable. _"Out of all people, I should know how hard it is for her." _ He felt ashamed at himself for even thinking that she was that influenced by Bette. "Things will get better, just hang in there."

'_I sure hope so.' _The young magician thought.

"As long as you love me I'll be here for you, that'll never change."

"Promise?" She asked, holding her pinkie out.

Rob interlocked his pinkie with hers. "Promise." A smirk spread across his face. "Now hand over the ice cream."

Zatanna smiled and handed over the bucket. "Thanks Robin."

Hearing him make that promise made her feel warm and fuzzy, but down in the innermost part of herself it was all just a Band-Aid on an open infected wound. The same as the ice cream; she felt better after eating it, yet that didn't take away the problem. And the worst part was that she didn't even know how she truly felt.

Like Robin, she too wore a mask, only Robin's protected something and was visible while hers blocked something in her core where no one could find it.

***Yawn!* Ok, I can go on holidays now. ^_^ **

**BTW: The first chapter's ending has been slightly modified. It had no relevance to the story line and was just randomly there, so now it actually goes with the story. :D sorry, I know its unprofessional and I know should have thought about it when I started the story…. But I didn't think and so now that's all I can do. :)**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, it means sooo much. I use any and all feedback to attempt to improve my writing, so please review. Have a great day and happy holidays to anyone else on holidays too! :D Keep safe and God bless! **


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